


Kathang-Isip

by ThisGracia



Category: Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Ispiritista AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 17:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7723012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisGracia/pseuds/ThisGracia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a town, there was a theft, and there was a soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kathang-Isip

Perhaps it's the fact that he had only two hours of sleep. Or maybe it's the rice cooker breaking down first thing in the morning or the nasty smell of rotten fruits and bad luck. Emilio had always been sensitive to signals, and that particular morning had so many warning signs that Miong headache went up a notch.

 

Fely noticed at once, of course. "Kuya, okay ka lang?" She grabbed a mug and started making coffee for her brother who slumped onto the nearest seat in the small, floral-wallpapered kitchen.

 

Miong, as his rivals liked to call him, reached for the piece of paper stuck on the refrigerator door. Several names were written on it, all crossed out except the bottom one. "Ipa-resched na lang yata natin to?"

 

"Bakit? Bad day for business na naman ba?" His sister sat beside him, nibbling on a warm pandesal that she probably bought next door. "Kaya lang, Kuya, hindi na natin pwedeng ilipat ang appointment niyan."

 

"Bakit hindi? Sabihin mo busy ang mga multo ngayon."

 

"Hindi nga pwede," Fely huffed. "Kapag hindi daw natin tinanggap yan, lilipat siya sa kabila."

 

The mere mention of his rivals sent all of Miong's worries down the drain. He quickly drank the contents of his mug, burned his tongue, spat out unintelligible curses, and went straight to the bathroom. 

 

"Wag kang magmadali!" Fely called out, smirking. "Mamayang 2 pm pa darating si Mr. Mabini."

 

 

**† KATHANG-ISIP**

ni ThisGracia 

 

 

The office, if the small space they were renting out could be called that, looked like an antiques shop from the outside. In fact, it was an antiques shop. There were old, chipped frames with pictures too faded to distinguish what it showed, rusty globes, ancient cookery, coal-powered irons, and books and journals, most of which lacked some pages. There were also oddments, things that not even the owners of the place knew their purpose or function. There was a huge netting of some kind made from a sturdy material, perhaps it was used to catch fish, except that the holes were as big as Miong's head. A lampcase also hung on the ceiling; the lamp itself was missing. There was a small basin full of small white things which, at a closer look, revealed to be bones. There was also a glass case where the larger bones were displayed, along with ancient coins, colored pins, a scented candle without scent, gold watches, fake watches, stones and whatnot. On the ceiling with the empty lampcase were colorful lanterns. If someone bothered to count, he'd find 10 lanterns scattered across the dirty ceiling like stars on muddy water.

 

Towards the southern end of the shop, a tiny alcove was nestled between a shelf of empty jars and a miniature telephone booth. The space was covered by velvet curtains so that regular customers wouldn't notice the set-up beyond. Two chairs facing each other, a table in between, pale light coming from an old lantern. This was where most of their money came from so they had to keep up appearances.

 

Fely was busy fixing up the alcove when she heard the door chimes tinkling. Familiar footsteps and laughter filled the shop. She stuck out her head and said, "Kung sino man ang gentleman dyan, pakuha naman ng blue lantern."

 

A few seconds later, the lantern appeared by the entrance to the alcove, held by a young man wearing jeans and a shirt, and an easy smile. "Ito na po, ma'am."

 

Fely smirked. "Sabi ko 'gentleman', Goyong. Bakit ikaw ang nag-aabot niyan?"

 

"Bakit, Fel? Kelan ba ako hindi naging gentleman?" Gregorio, or you can just call him Greg but everyone actually calls him Goyong, quipped.

 

"Ah, gusto mo ng enumeration. May listahan ako..."

 

"Hi, Ate Fely." Another young man pushed the bickering duo apart. "Busy ka yata. May kliyente?"

 

"Oo pero mamaya pa. At, Vince, hanggang ngayon 'ate' pa rin ako sayo? Magkaedad lang kaya tayo. Wag ka ngang ano dyan."

 

"P're, wag mo nang tawaging ate si Fel. Dapat 'manang' o kaya 'tita' ganon." Goyong teased, earning a blow to head from the girl. "Aray!"

 

Miong was very much used to this scenario after almost a decade of dealing with it, so he wasn't surprised when he walked into the shop and saw his sister clobber one of his employees.

 

"O, Vicente, kumusta na?" he asked, ignoring the banter of the two.

 

"Mabuti naman po. Medyo puyat sa thesis pero kaya naman."

 

"Malapit ka na palang grumaduate ah. Dalawa na kayo ni Etong na magmamana ng negosyo."

 

Vince scratched his head sheepishly. "Ang totoo po, plano ko sanang—"

 

Whatever he was supposed to say was cut off by a loud knock on the door. Fely and Goyong both fell silent and turned to their boss, questions clearly marked on their faces. Emilio was, however, as confused as they were. They had an unwritten rule that all employees could barge in without knocking, so whoever was at the door was an outsider in every sense of the word. To confirm, Goyong went and checked the peephole.

 

"Customer," he mouthed to them.

 

"Fely, sabi mo alas dos pa darating? Wala pang ala una!" Emilio whispered, suddenly afraid that whoever was at the door could hear them clearly. 

 

"Alas dos nga dapat!" Fely rushed to get the logbook where she'd written out the details of that day's appointment. As if on cue, Gregorio went to finish tidying up the alcove, Vicente manned the counter where an antique cash register had lain for years, while Emilio went inside the 'house' part of their rented space to get dressed appropriately. By appropriate, it meant changing from his plain tee shirt and army shorts to a suit and tie. Ever since a client called him out for being a rugged fraud, he'd never again settled for anything less than formal.

 

When he came into the shop again, Gregorio had already let the client in. Clients, rather. One was a tall man with an easy air of authority, the other a frail-looking man in a wheelchair. Both were dressed in full business attire, but the tall man wore his like mourning clothes. The former was talking to Gregorio and Vicente quietly while the latter seemed content just to listen to their conversation.

 

He had sad eyes, Emilio noted. Haunted eyes. But they were alert eyes, too. He could tell he was observing their place, taking it all in - for future reference perhaps? Suddenly, they caught each other's gaze and Emilio found a wellspring of...things. Or was it a blackhole? The longer he looked, the more he was sucked into the depths of —

 

"Kuya!" His train of thought was interrupted when Fely pulled him away. Her hands were clammy. "Bilisan mo na, lapitan mo na sila. Nagmamadali daw sila."

 

VIP nga naman, Emilio thought. He kept his face neutral as he approached the clients. "Sorry to keep you wai—"

 

"Mr. Aguinaldo, I presume?"

 

Everyone turned to the seated man who had suddenly - and forcefully - interrupted Emilio. "Nandito ako dahil kailangan ko ang tulong mo. Kung pwede, wag na tayong magsayang ng oras. Kailangan ko nang makita ang kapatid ko."

 

"Makita?" Gregorio repeated. 

 

"Ano po bang nangyari? Paano siya namatay?" Emilio asked.

 

Their client shook his head sadly. "Buhay pa siya...pero...nawawala ang kaluluwa niya."


End file.
